Next IE8 beta due in August

If you're hoping the next beta of Internet Explorer 8 will build on the success of its predecessor, you'll have to wait and see.

If you're still stubbornly sticking to the One True Browser – Microsoft's Internet Explorer – then you'll be disappointed to hear that the next public beta won't be made available until August at the earliest.

Internet Explorer 8 is set to introduce the rather alien concept of standards compliance to the ubiquitous Windows browser with a “do as you're told” mode being added to Microsoft's traditional “do what the heck you feel like” interpretation of W3C standards, as we've covered before.

Although the first public beta was released back in March, Microsoft is allegedly looking to implement changes suggested by feedback to that release before belting out the next iteration. With an August release on the cards according to the official IEBlog, the team behind the beta are hoping to spend some of the time ensuring that the beta is available in as many different languages as possible: the first beta was only available in three localised versions, while the next release will cover a whopping 25 languages – although three of those are Chinese, and another two are different flavours of Portuguese.

Apart from appealing to the polyglot in you, the next beta promises faster script performance alongside improved tools for web developers looking to ensure their pages work A-OK with the strict compatibility mode IE 8 will be featuring.

If you're desperate for a bit of next-gen IE action, the initial public beta is still available to tide you over until August.

Anyone tempted away from Firefox or Opera by IE 8 Beta 1, or will they have to introduce some pretty amazing changes in the second beta to get you to change your browser back to Microsoft's offering? Share your thoughts over in the forums.